UB's Experts in Extreme Events Are Available for Media During Vigilant Guard Exercise

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- University at Buffalo professors involved in
the UB 2020 strategic strength in extreme events are lending their
expertise to media this week during the Vigilant Guard exercise
organized by the New York National Guard and state, regional and
local officials.

The purpose of Vigilant Guard New York, the largest emergency
response exercise ever conducted in Western New York, is to enhance
the emergency preparedness of military and civilian personnel in
the region. According to this Vigilant Guard exercise scenario, a
magnitude 5.9 earthquake has struck Western New York and more than
1,300 National Guard troops and hundreds of local and regional
emergency response professionals have been deployed. Exercises in
search and rescue, ground and air medical evacuation and critical
infrastructure inspections will occur at the Niagara Falls Air
Reserve Base, at the former Spaulding Fibre Plant site in Tonawanda
and at other locations throughout Western New York.

At UB, extreme events researchers conduct projects to study and
improve mitigation and response to natural and man-made disasters.
Areas of specialization include multi-hazard engineering, geohazard
studies, seismic design and retrofit of buildings and bridges,
"smart" transportation systems, structural dynamics and blast
engineering. UB also is the home of MCEER, a national center of
excellence focused on multi-hazard engineering and dedicated to the
discovery and development of new knowledge, tools and technologies
to make communities and infrastructure more resilient in the face
of extreme events.

The following UB professors are available to speak with
media:

• Andre Filiatrault, PhD, Eng., professor of civil,
structural and environmental engineering at UB. Filiatrault, a
leading expert on shake-table testing of structural and
nonstructural building components, is director of UB's MCEER and an
expert

on the vulnerability of wood-frame construction and electric
power substations to damage wrought by extreme events. He can also
discuss the topic of overall damage and wave attenuation from a
magnitude 5.9 earthquake.

• Robert D. Jacobi, PhD, professor of geology. Jacobi has
conducted research that found that contrary to the conventional
wisdom, Western New York -- in fact, the entire state -- is
crisscrossed by literally hundreds of faults, many of which are
seismically active today. His research has shown that the
likelihood of a significant seismic event occurring in Western New
York is not as remote as many think.

• George C. Lee, PhD, SUNY Distinguished Professor in the
Department of Civil, Structural and Environmental Engineering. Lee
is an expert in the behavior and design of metal structures,
seismic design and retrofit of buildings and bridges, and
structural response modification technologies. He also is the
principal investigator on MCEER's Federal Highway Administration
project.

• Adel Sadek, PhD, professor of civil, structural and
environmental engineering. Sadek is an expert on the application of
information technology and advanced computing to transportation
problems. He studies the use of such new technologies as collision
avoidance systems, adaptive traffic control and dynamic route
guidance to increase safety and efficiency.

The University at Buffalo is a premier research-intensive public
university, a flagship institution in the State University of New
York system and its largest and most comprehensive campus. UB's
more than 28,000 students pursue their academic interests through
more than 300 undergraduate, graduate and professional degree
programs. Founded in 1846, the University at Buffalo is a member of
the Association of American Universities.

Media Contact Information

Dr. Qing He, an ISTL and TransINFO core faculty member hosted
the 2014 UB National Summer Transportation Institute (NSTI) from
July 7th-11th. UB hosted 30 local high school students to
participate in an innovative one-week summer educational program in
transportation. The week consisted of lectures, projects, field
trips and enhancement sessions. And, by week’s end, the
students were introduced to careers within the diverse modes of
water, air, and ground transportation.